Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-04-19
JOAQUIN MILLER.
he WRITES OF THE GREAT sAcRA-
MENTO VALLEY GENERALLY.
And Particularly Of He'd Bluns and Its
Rivals-Cursed with the Leprosy OF Laxi-
ness-A Hot Locality Far Away from
the Fresh Breezes of the Sea-

ness-A Hot Locality Far Away from
| the Fresh Breezes of the Sea-
Especial Correspondence
RED BLUFFS, Cal, April 8.
This point Is some 2OO miles up the turbid,
yellow river-made yellow by the mud from
the placer mines; although we older Cali
fornians can recall the days when this noble
river flashed in the sun like silver and was al
clear as glass
This town here, set on a high, windy bill,
in the heart of the great valley, Is at the head
OF navigation for steamers. The town is as
old as the mines OF California, and was called
Red Bluffs because OF the high, red banks
where the steamboats, landed their freight
and passengers Time was when this faded
and dull Little town held q high head
and mighty high place In the estimation OF
those who dealt in real estate and prophesies
Of great future. But the same may he said
Of nearly every one of the thousand towns
that are sown up and down this vast valley of
wheat.
know 1t is the fashion for all old Califor-
mans to lament their omission to buy lots in
San Francisco in the palmy days, but If the
lamentations Of those who did buy lots in the
thousand and one other ''citiss" Of California
could be heard am sure they would over
balance the others tenfold.
This pretty little town Is set thick with
trees, is high, dry and healthful, has splendid
schools, plenty Of very wealthy Inhabitants,
and it Is rather famous for its pretty women
Of Saxon blood and California birth. The
steamers no longer reach this point with reg,l-
larity or profit, as Of old, and trade and travel
has taken almost entirely to the railroad
The town is in the heart of by far the vastest
wheat field OH earth. You see miles and
miles Of wheat bags piled up in little noun
tains all the way to San Francisco by the
track waiting for the freight cars. And yet
the town does not seem to be overly
prosperous Perhaps l ought to repeat
that 1t is only one Of about a thous-
and like towns that have set out
to "grow up with the country" with very in
different success. Red Bluffs has too many
petty rivals, perhaps. And perhaps they are
all modelled too much after the same misera-
bly, provincial pattern. In these California
towns you hear the click, clack Of the bill
lard balls as you enter them. You see some
red faced barkeeper in shirt sleeves bustling
about In every one Of the dozen or 60 "sa-
loons," two or three "dead beats" leaning
over each one OF the many billiard tables, a
few old blossomed noses poking about the
corners looking out for some one to treat, a
'ozen or SO loafers sitting cooked back ON
proken cnaiis oetore the doors OF the "sa-
oons' lou OF pig, lazy boys leaning
against posts or snade trees, staring at the
strangers ana smoking cigarettes or chewing
,.,., ana tnat Is ABOUT all. These pretty
tue Cahiornia towns Tor which God has
zone SO maen ana man so little, are all alike.
veaN, "o,'hess, helpless Ihey all have the
'epiosy' 'he ueady' damhlng leprosy OF lazi'
ness III every Done ana hoer OF them. A hoy,
Or man eiener, as 10 that' had far better be
'Sns or Ills ueatn pea WIN lever than be
,ou.u ,.ine around one OF these pretty, peace
vi S".iio''ia Towns. IeaceIuis aoushouid
near them "heN .hiS 'nooaluln. element
"hicn hangs around the saloons" sets GU
Oh howhns "boycott' or campaign again.
10 peace1ut Chinaman W no washes their dirty
lothes! Or you shoult hear some of these
ID blossom noses when election draws nigh.
'heir EFFORTS TO save the country are loud
mi sleepless They make Rome howl and
ieep the red laced pug nosed and leprous
ooking barkeepers busy enough.
would try my best to persuade each strong
'rmed American or lrishman to be at least
aau way as useful and industrious as Chi
'aman. Leprosyf Yes, they really have the
.eprosy-the leprosy OF lazlness. And this is
zen times more deadly than any other form of